The competition was stiff and the ladies were fierce, but on Sunday night only one walked away with the coveted crown and title of Miss World Bahamas 2019, setting off a firestorm of mixed emotions in the pageant world.
After weeks of competition, the blood sweat and tears paid off for 18-year-old Nyah Bandelier as she captured the title of Miss World Bahamas 2019. But her stunning win was met with much criticism, backlash and…questions from those in pageant circle and the country at large.
Bandelier’s win has had social media ablaze with comments and conversation for two days straight, it’s prompted local bloggers to heavily weigh in on the judges’ final decision and organizers of the pageant even fielded similar questions from the public on a local radio talk show.
People are big mad!
It’s no secret that from the very beginning many pageant stans had pegged Miss New Providence Jerchovia Moxey, Miss Ocean Cay Rotalya Williams and Miss University of The Bahamas Lydia Cooper as the ones to beat, but in the end the 18-year-old representing the island of Eleuthera would woo the judges to capture the crown and title.
I am honestly lost for words. But I am so grateful. I am so thankful. I’ve been praying constantly, I’ve been working hard and the determination definitely paid off.
This is certainly not the first time a queen’s win has shocked country…and honestly it might not be the last. At the end of the day, Nyah is our new queen and deserves our respect and support!
The recent high school graduate, who has received numerous scholarships to pursue medical studies with a focus in obstetrics, wowed the judges from the start of the show in the Atlantis theatre up until the very end.
The night was magical.
From the opening number alongside Bahamian signer Lady E, to the ever so hot swimsuit competition and of course the elegance that was the evening gown competition, the contestants left it all on the stage.
What started off as a battle between eight young women quickly dwindled to six and then the jaw-dropping cut to three where Miss Eleuthera, Miss Crystal Cay and Miss Balmoral all had to answer the final question on cyber bullying.
But it was Nyah’s charm, whit and her ability to articulate her response from her heart that won judges over. Not to mention the blue-eyed beauty was drop-dead gorgeous in a Theodore Ellyett gown.
Sitting between her two runner-ups, Nyah said she was just really happy and honored to compete against a group of women who all “brought it.”
Nyah succeeds Brinique Gibson, who competed in Miss World 2018 in China.
But now the work begins for the new queen who now replaces her sash that said “Eleuthera” for that of “The Bahamas.”
“We’re now going to begin preparing her for international competition,” Miss Bahamas Organization President Michelle Malcolm said.
“This will entail her doing extensive work on her Beauty with a Purpose project because as we’ve said over and over again Beauty with a Purpose is a major component in the Miss World system and we know that she has a very specific interest in raising awareness about plastic pollution and most likely her project will focus around that.”
Nyah’s life has undoubtedly changed. She now enters a realm where her life will be filled with coaching and a long list of life-changing experiences that will take her to many parts of the world, rubbing shoulders with people she never imagined she’d have the opportunity of meeting.
For her, it’s more than exciting seeing she’s just 18-years-old.
“It’s still hard to believe because I’m only 18,” she said. “I’ve grown and matured as a young lady so much just being a part of this competition and I’ve seen tremendous growth within myself.”
“Going to Thailand will be interesting. I’ve never been there and I am a lover of travel so I’m really excited to see really what the world has to offer and to represent my country and show the world that The Bahamas has what it takes.”
Miss World is the biggest pageant in the world with over 100 contestants. This year’s competition takes place on December 7th in Thailand.
In our opinion all of the ladies are…
